GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Green Bay Police Department is trying out new technology to reduce crime.
The department is currently testing automatic license plate readers, which are cameras that automatically capture the license plate of every vehicle that drives through an intersection equipped with an ALPR.
The cameras are motion-activated and can capture a vehicle’s make, model, color, plate and even bumper stickers.
The department says they’ve been researching ALPRs for several months now and have used the time to develop policy on how to use the technology.
According to GBPD, it is one of 70 other Wisconsin departments currently using ALPRs.
Green Bay’s 28 ALPRs are located at major entrances and exits to the city and near each bridge over the Fox River.
While the department is hopeful the technology will help reduce crime in Green bay, it still has concerns and anticipates concerns from community members as well.
GBPD noted that the data from the cameras will not be sold and that the department owns the data.
The data is stored on the cloud and will automatically be deleted after 30 days of being captured.
The department also explained that the system can only be searched if there is a legitimate public safety concern.
Additionally, ALPRs do not use facial recognition technology and does not identify people based on race or gender.
The cameras are also not for traffic enforcement and are not “red light” cameras, which are illegal in Wisconsin.
